Russia outlines vision for Ukraine’s future

March 19 2014

RIR

Nikolay Surkov

Russia’s road map asks that the U.S. and the EU respect Crimea’s right to self-determination as expressed in the March 16 referendum. Source: Reuters

The suggestions include creating a support group for Ukraine made up of the US, EU and Russia, recognition of the Crimea referendum, and writing of a new Constitution followed by elections based on it.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
March 17, Russia outlined a road map for the international community to use in
stabilizing the situation in Ukraine. The suggestions included the creation of
a support group for Ukraine made up of the United States, the EU and Russia;
recognition of the Crimea referendum; and the writing of the new Constitution
followed by elections based on it.

The statement was particularly clear on the guidelines for
the support group, should the US and the EU agree to participate. According to
the statement, the group must respect the interests of all the national groups
living in Ukraine, including the right to use their native language and foster
broad ties with their compatriots. Special emphasis was also given to “the
inadmissibility of the revival of neo-Nazi ideology” and the necessity for
Ukrainian politicians to disassociate from ultra-nationalist groups. Finally,
participants of the group must take into consideration the “mutual interests of
all states” in the Euro-Atlantic region.

The first is the immediate implementation of the obligations
of the Feb. 21 Agreement, including the seizure of illegal weapons, liberation
of illegally occupied buildings and streets, and objective investigations into
the acts of violence that occurred between December 2013 and February 2014.

Second is the convention of a constitutional assembly with
equal representation from all regions of Ukraine. The purpose of the assembly
will be to prepare a new constitution that will ensure the transformation of
Ukraine into a democratic federative state with a neutral military-political
status.

Russia made several suggestions as to the contents of the new
constitution. These suggestions include special provisions for languages other
than Ukrainian, particularly giving Russian the status of a second official
language; and giving regions the ability to elect their legislative and
executive authorities by direct vote. Regions should also have authority to
make policies that take into account their unique cultural and historical
backgrounds.

The third point of the plans is national elections for
Ukraine’s federal governing bodies and elections for legislative and executive
positions in each region to be held immediately after the new constitution is
adopted.

Russia’s road map also asks that the US and the EU respect
Crimea’s right to self-determination as expressed in the March 16 referendum,
in which more than 96 percent of participants voted to separate from Ukraine
and become part of the Russian Federation.

Finally, the Russian plan calls for Russia, the EU and the US
to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aligned
status with binding UN Security Council resolutions.

Nikolai Kaveshnikov, head of the Department of European
Integration at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
said that Russia’s plan has some constructive points. In his opinion, requiring
Ukraine to be a non-aligned federation is necessary given the country’s diverse
population. However, Kaveshnikov is skeptical about the reality of creating a
support group. “The events of the past week have shown that our American and European
partners have embarked on a course of unconditional support for the new powers
in Ukraine irrespective of their insufficient legitimacy and ties to
extremists. Given the unwillingness of our American and European partners to
recognize the right of Crimea to self-determination, I do not foresee the plan
proposed by Russia being implemented,” Kaveshnikov said.

He added that the reaction of the authorities in Kiev to the
proposal can also easily be predicted. “If we take into account all of their
former actions, starting with attempts to change the law on the status of
languages, instead of searching for a national consensus, the Kiev politicians
are trying to impose the views of the western regions of the country on the
entire Ukrainian people,” Kaveshnikov said.

In Kaveshnikov’s opinion, these actions were hasty and an
example of the dangers of acting without considering all the possibilities –
particularly in this situation.

“What is needed today is the careful and balanced actions of
all sides within Ukraine and all countries interested in the stabilization of
the situation. Further escalation of the conflict will have tragic results for
Ukraine and the situation in the region as a whole,” said Kaveshnikov.